The Callahan Report: Robbie Buhl Gets First Career IRL Win

18 August 1997

LOUDON, NH: When the chips are down, the drivers in the Indy Racing
League know how to put on a show. After a yawning opening, the
Pennzoil 200 ended with a lead change and a side by side finish for
the win. Team Menard driver Robbie Buhl out dueled rookie Vincenzo
Sospiri for his first IRL victory.

The victory appeared to belong to owner/driver Eddie Cheever until lap
198 of the 200 lap event. In heavy traffic Buhl was glued to the rear
wing of Cheever. The two cars came within inches of touching when
Cheever slowed suddenly. Buhl darted to the outside as he was trying
to hold off the closing Sospiri. Still in the traffic jam, the two
cars went nose to tail for the final tow laps. Sospiri cut to the
inside of Buhl exiting turn four on the last lap. Buhl finished ahead
of the young Italian by less than 6 feet.

Robbie Buhl

Buhl and everyone else at the track assumed Cheever had ran out of
fuel. Cheever had stopped for fuel with 63 laps remaining in the
race. The general consensus was these cars can only go 60 laps on a
tank of fuel. Buhl remarked, "I guess he ran out of fuel. I just came
up on top of him.....I was on the binders. I was very lucky I didn't
hit him."

Buhl sat out a couple of races recently due to injuries he received in
a practice crash. He said of the victory, "We needed this. I'm just
glad John Menard held the seat for me." Menard, the team owner, fields
two cars in the Indy Racing League.

Tony Stewart, the series points leader, is the other driver in the
Menard stable. Stewart retained the points lead over A.J. Foyt
Enterprises/Powerteam driver, Davey Hamilton. The two racers started
the race in the middle of the field. Both suffered blown engines
during today's competition. Stewart holds a ten point lead over
Hamilton heading into the final race of the season at Las Vegas in
October.

The second place finish by Sospiri marked the best of his young
career. The rookie impressed many by qualifying on the front row for
this year's Indianapolis 500, but has had a string of disappointing
finishes since May.

Vincenzo Sospiri

The track had a buildup of "marbles" from a modified stock car race
held earlier in the day. The treacherous conditions bit rookies and
veterans alike. Robbie Groff spun as the field was ready to take the
green at the start of the race. Groff was didn't hit anything and was
able to continue. On the next restart, Jimmy Kite spun his Old Navy
car in the same location and hit the wall.

The spin and crash list continued. Buddy Lazier, Sam Schmidt, and
Affonso Giaffone all had trouble with the dirty track. Polesitter
Marco Greco oiled his own tires exiting turn four. He lightly brushed
the wall but all the tires stayed on the car. The engine was done for
the day.

Driver Johnny Unser is getting plenty of seat time for a driver
without a permanent ride in the series. Once again, Unser was called
in to drive for the re-injured Mike Groff in the Bryant Heating and
Cooling car. Groff suffered a broken leg in Texas. He returned to New
Hampshire this weekend only to crash heavy on Friday. Groff is still
in a local hospital, recovering from a concussion. Groff was
unconscious for over 20 minutes after the crash. He is expected to be
released within the next two days.

The League will stage the final race of the season at the two year old
high speed oval in Las Vegas.